Innerspring mattress construction



Jan. 26, 1965 c. c. CUNNINGHAM INNERSPRING MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION United States PatentA 3,166,768 INNERSPRING MATTRESS CGNSTRUCTIN Cecil C. Cunningham, 18652 Madison Ave., Castro Vailey, Calif. Fiied .lune 11, 1962, Ser. No. 201,392 3 Claims. (Cl. 5 351) This invention relates to mattresses in general, and is particularly directed to an innerspring mattress construction which is adapted to conform to body contours so as to be substantially form-fitting.

The present day trend in innerspring mattresses is to build additional firmness into the central third of the mattress supporting surface. The result is a mattress which has rela-tively yieldable support areas at the opposite ends of a relatively rm central supporting surface. The yieldable areas accordingly support the head and shoulder portions and foot portions of the body while the firm area supports the heavier trunk portion of the body. Conventional mattresses of this type are thus of a nonsag construction.

It has been found that non-sag mattresses present a certain harshness of support to a reclining body in that these mattresses are not form tting to the overall body contours. The mattress does not yield to various of the normal body protrusions such as the hips and posterior and a portion of the shoulder. Greater comfort is attained where yieldability to the body protrusions and lift or support to the body depressions is provided. I have provided an innerspring mattress construction which has the foregoing capability.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an innerspring mattress which includes relatively yieldable support surfaces positioned to receive the shoulders, and hips and posterior of a reclining body and a relatively rm support surface therebetween positioned to receive the small of the back.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a form fitting innerspring mattress of the class described which may be turned over end-for-end and still retain its body contour support function.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an innerspring mattress of the class described wherein the transition between yielding and firm support sections is gradual or tapered so as to enhance the conformity of support -to the body contours.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an innerspring mattress construction of the class described which is simple and capable of being manufactured in volume with existing equipment.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal section through an innerspring mattress in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a modiiied form of the mattress in which the transition between yieldable and iirm support sections is tapered.

Considering now the invention in some detail and referring to the illustrated forms thereof in the drawing, there will be seen to be generally provided an innerspring mattress which has longitudinally spaced support sections of greater yieldability or resiliency than relatively firm support sections therebetween. The yieldable sectionsare positioned to correspond to the normal protruding por- CCh tions of a reclining body whereas the iirm sections correspond to body depressions such that the mattress is form fitting to the body contour.

More particularly, yas regards preferred structure of the mattress, it includes coil springs 11 arrayed in adjacent columns and rows to define a rectangular form. The springs are mounted in a suitable frame having the usual layers 12 of upholstering material, insulation, and the like covering the periphery of the overall spring frame. To this extent it will be appreciated that the mattress is of conventional construction.

The mattress construction departs from convention in the provision of longitudinally spaced rectangular sections 13, 14, 16 thereof which comprise the relatively yieldable sections of previous mention. The sections 13, 14, 16 may extend across the entire width of -the spring frame, however, it is preferable that the sections be entirely circumscribed by relatively lirrn portions of the frame. In other words, relatively firm side portions 17, end cross portions 18, and interposed cross portions 19 border the yieldable sections 13, 14, 16 in the preferred construction. The section 14 is best positioned centrally of the spring frame while sections 13 and 16 are equally spaced from the section 14 and inwardly from the opposite ends of the frame. The section 14 receives the hip and posterior portions of a reclining body and section 13 the shoulder portion. When the mattress is turned end for end, the section 16 then receives the shoulder portion.

Considering now various constructions of the mattress to the end of rendering the sections 13, 14, 16 yieldable relative to the remaining portions of the spring frame, the sections may be provided, as indicated -in FIGS. 1 and 2, as rectangular inserts 21, 22,` 23 of foam rubber or the like. The resiliency ofthe foam rubber inserts is of course selected to be greater than that of the springs 11. Alternatively, the sections 13, 14, 16 may be constructed of springs (not shown) having a greater resiliency than the springs 11 of the side, end, and interposed portions 17, 18, 19.

The spring frame so far considered may be modified, if desired, to produce a gradual change or taper in the resiliency between the yieldable sections and iirm adjacent sections of the frame. This may be accomplished, as shown in FIG. 3, by constructing the yieldable sections 13, 14, 16 of a plurality of inserts having a graded increasing resiliency in directions outwardly from the center of the yieldable sections towards the surrounding firm sections. For example, each section may comprise a central rectangular insert 24 of foam rubber or equivalent material circumscribed by a rectangular frame insert 26 of foam rubber or the like disposed inwardly adjacent the surrounding springs 11. The resiliency of the frame 26 is selected to be intermediate the resiliency of insert 24 and the lesser resiliency of the springs 11.

Alternatively, the graded resiliency yieldable sections may be constructed entirely of springs. In this case a central array of springs of relatively great resiliency is separated from the springs 11 of lesser resiliency by one or more framing arrays of springs of intermediate resiliency. For example, the springs 11 may advantageously be of 131/2 gauge while the central springs are of 141/2 gauge and the intermediate springs of 14 gauge. The resiliency of the supporting `surfaces is thus tapered in the transitions between yieldable and iirm support sections of the mattress.

What is claimed is:

l. An innerspring mattress construction comprising an innerspring frame having a central rectangular yieldable support section formed of resilient foam material and a pair of rectangular yieldable support sections formed of resilient foam material equally longitudinally spaced from said central section, said frame having relatively firm side and transverse sections formed of coil springs circumscribing said yieidable resilient foam material sections, saidA yieldable sections being positioned yto correspond to the protrusions of the contour of a reclining body, and rectangular frame inserts formed of resilient foam material disposed between said yieldable sections and said firm sections, said yieldable sections having a greater resiliency than said Viirrn coil spring sections and said frame inserts having a resiliency intermediate that of said yieldable sections and said firm coil spring sections.

2. An innerspring mattress construction comprising an innerspring frame having a central rectangular yieldable support section formed of resilient foam material and a pair of rectangular yieldable support sections formed of resilient foam material equally longitudinally spaced from said central section, said frame having relatively iirrn side and transverse sections formed of coil springs circumscribing said yieldable sections, said yieldaole sections having a greater resiliency than said coil spring sections, said vyieldable sections being positioned longitudinally to correspond to the protrusions of the contour of a reclining body.

3. An innerspring mattress construction comprising a generally elongated innerspring frame having a central yieldable support section formed of resilient foam material and a pair of yieldable support sections equally longitudinally spaced from said central section, said frame having relatively firm side and transverse sections formed of coil springs circnrnscribing said yieldable sections, said yieldable sections being positioned to correspond to the protrusions of the contour of a reciining body and having a greater resiliency than said coil spring sections.

Reeiences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,186 l/30 Claus 5-91 X 2,192,601 3/40 Mattison 5-361 X 2,532,425 12/50 Schenker 5-351 3,682,438 3/63 Nachman 5-353 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

3. AN INNERSPRING MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A GENERALLY ELONGATED INNERSPRING FRAME HAVING A CENTRAL YIELDABLE SUPPORT SECTION FORMED OF RESILIENT FOAM MATERIAL AND A PAIR OF YIELDABLE SUPPORT SECTIONS EQUALLY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM SAID CENTRAL SECTION, SAID FRAME HAVING RELATIVELY FIRM SIDE AND TRANSVERSE SECTIONS FORMED OF COIL SPRINGS CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID YIELDABLE SECTIONS, SAID YIELDABLE SECTION BEING POSITIONED TO CORRESPOND TO THE PROTRUSIONS OF THE CONTOUR OF A RECLINING BODY AND HAVING A GREATER RESILIENCY THAN SAID COIL SPRING SECTIONS. 